


Serpent Operation: Protecting Cheryl

by karinex87



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Protective Toni Topaz, Romance, Slow Burn, because we deserve it, but not that slow, choni
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:08:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21798127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karinex87/pseuds/karinex87
Summary: “Topaz, c’mon.”“You can’t tell anyone.”Sweet Pea dropped himself to a chair, “Oh Topaz, what have you got yourself into?”“Okay, we don’t have much time, so short version it is.” She clapped her hands together. “Black Hood has been terrorizing Riverdale and Cheryl is his next victim. I’m not letting anything bad happen to her, so we’re leaving. I don’t know when I’m coming back nor I have any idea where to go. I know she’s in danger here and I’m taking her as far away from this psycho as I can.”
Relationships: Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Comments: 12
Kudos: 74





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo here we go  
> I had this idea in a dream (only half of it, god knows what will happen next), but I hope you guys enjoy it. English is not my first language and I don't have a beta so I'm sorry for any mistakes.

Riverdale High School was silent. 

_Deadly_ silent.

Which was quite strange, since school time wasn’t over yet.

Apart from the doors of the closed rooms and the empty corridors, the only thing that could be seen was a quick red figure, crossing the corridor and quickly descending the stairs.

Ignoring the slight pain in her stomach from shortness of breath and for the first time in her life _almost_ cursing her heels, Cheryl Blossom quickened her pace. She could feel her heart beating in her throat and shuddered at the feeling of being followed.

She had been feeling like that for a few weeks now and that made her question her own sanity. After all, she tried to tell her closest friends – but could she really call them friends? What kind of friends were those who knew of her sense of panic and simply decided not to believe that Riverdale’s HBIC was in danger?

Part of Cheryl was really wondering if she was going crazy.

But c’mon, it was Riverdale we were talking about. The stranger things happened there.

_I don’t need those losers’ help_ , Cheryl thought to herself.

Any sense of indignation was quickly replaced by horror as Cheryl looked up and saw who was ahead of her at the end of the hallway. Cheryl stood there, froze to the spot.

There was him again. The serial killer everyone was talking about that seemed to have as a new life mission to turn Cheryl’s into a _living hell_.

“What do you want from me?” yelled the girl, not exactly surprised when she got no answer. Instead, the Black Hood moved forward.

“Stop!” she yelled again, to no avail.

His slow steps gave Cheryl enough time to recover and start running in the opposite direction, as fast as she could. Cheryl had no idea for how long she had been running, but when she looked back and saw that she wasn’t being followed, she paused for a moment to catch her breath.

When she felt a firm hand on her shoulder, she screamed.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like it!

Cheryl Blossom slept soundly.

The night had not been quiet, she could only sleep way past midnight, given the nightmares she constantly had. A confusing mix of all the bad things that had happened the year before – and her Jason was still the most frequent person in her dreams, though he rarely appeared as she used to know him. She had learned to cope as best as she could. At least the best she could on her own. She was no longer surprised to have her sleep interrupted by a bad dream. The world wouldn’t stop and wait for her to be all right.

But that morning, Cheryl was awakened by a loud noise.

She sat on the bed upright, looking around and feeling her heart beating furiously on her chest.

No other sounds were heard after that and Cheryl shrugged. A new day had begun, and it was time for her to get ready.

By the time she was ready, Kevin had already sent her a message, letting her know that he was waiting in front of her house. And that day, Cheryl couldn’t be more grateful to her friend – especially considering that her other ride would be her mother. But Cheryl doubted this could be an option at all, given the fact that Penelope was too busy lying on the living room couch, making out with a man Cheryl had never seen in her life.

Cheryl took a deep breath as she tried to ignore the feelings of anger, disgust and utterly horror that seeing that scene caused her. Penelope’s surprised eyes stared at her daughter, and when she started to babble some explanation, Cheryl snorted.

“Keep your words to those who care about them, _mother_.”

The drive to school was relatively pleasant, with Kevin talking about a lot of things and being able to distract her. He was rambling about some boy – the redhead didn’t listen from the beginning to understand what was going on – when something else caught Cheryl’s eye. They weren’t going fast, so she had enough time to see something that was weird to say the least.

Something… _Someone_ standing on the side of the road, but hidden enough so not anyone could see him, with his face covered in a black mask.

“Did you see that?” asked Cheryl, still looking back.

Kevin tried to see what Cheryl was talking about and even looked in the rearview mirror but saw nothing.

“No… What did you see?”

“Nothing.” She sighed, looking back at the road. “It was nothing. You were saying…?”

And that was the cue for Kevin to speak again, quickly forgetting about Cheryl had asked before.

Across town, Toni slept soundly. A faint smile could be seen on her expression, caused by whatever she was dreaming about. The smile, however, didn’t last and was replaced by a grimace when the figures in her dream began to change. A loud, steady beat began to be heard and brought her back to reality. She opened her eyes and with a grunt, went to the door and opened it, facing an anxious Fangs.

He looked her from head to toe, “Why aren’t you ready? I thought we were going together today.”

She tilted her head, still confused and cracked her neck from side to side.

“Go where? Why are you up so early?”

“School. We gotta be there in 20 minutes.” He said hurriedly. Fangs put his hands on Toni’s shoulders, spun her around and gave her a little push. “Go.”

“Shit, shit, shit...” mumbled Toni as she gathered things around, throwing them inside her backpack without giving it much thought. She _did_ feel more rested than usual and found out why when she picked up her phone and noticed that it was dead.

_This bastard died on me._

It took her a few minutes to finish getting ready before practically running out the door, picking up her charger on the way. Fangs was already waiting for her with his bike on and without wasting any more time, they drove off to school.

Toni couldn’t describe how boring this class was being. The only distraction that would make her time worth being there wasn’t in the room. Cheryl Blossom was unusually late. Toni let her thoughts wander for a while – especially remembering the brief moments she was in the redhead’s presence. None of them had been calm or peaceful. But despite not knowing Cheryl well, Topaz doubted anyone would use the words “calm” and “quiet” to describe the young Blossom.

Toni was wondering where Cheryl could be when the redhead herself came into the room and walked to her seat normally, as if nothing out of the usual had happened. Even on time, she needed some minutes to compose herself before facing everyone.

Toni couldn’t help looking at Cheryl and frowned when she noticed that her hands were shaking slightly.

Cheryl swore she could feel eyes burning through her skin. Even without looking, she already knew where it was coming from. Ignoring her urge to resist and stand still, she glanced back slightly and met Toni’s gaze. The pink-haired girl seemed worried and for a moment Cheryl was afraid she might know _something_. Topaz offered a tentative smile and Cheryl gave a small smile back. The class passed slowly, and it would be an exaggeration to say that Cheryl was able to understand more than two sentences spoken by the teacher. Despite feeling a little safer in the middle of a crowded class, she thanked God when the bell rang and got up almost immediately. Before anyone could talk to her, she was gone.

Toni could sense something was wrong.

Rising quickly, Toni tried to follow her. She was quick enough to see Cheryl entering the bathroom and had to fight the urge to enter right after her. Images of their last conversation there and how Cheryl seemed to have overreacted almost made her give up her decision.

Even so, the concern for the other girl was stronger.

Shortly after entering, Toni found her with her hands resting on the sink, facing the mirror.

“Cheryl?” Toni tried, quietly. The redhead didn’t seem to have noticed anyone coming in – so lost she was in her whirlwind of thoughts.

Toni approached slowly enough for Cheryl to notice her presence in the reflection of the mirror. The once lost eyes became ice cold.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to check on you.” It was the simple answer. “Are you okay?”

Cheryl stiffened. She had just over a second to recover as she turned to face the other girl.

“And what would give you the impression that I’m not?”

“You didn’t answer my question.” Toni pointed out and looked at Chery’s crossed arms. “Your hands are still trembling.”

Cheryl hugged herself a little tighter.

“Shouldn’t you be with your own kind? Doing whatever _Serpent_ s do for living?”

Toni rolled her eyes. The bitch queen attitude really didn’t bother her. Maybe one day Cheryl would realize that she didn’t have to act that way. But honestly, Toni didn’t blame her. That kind of attitude was probably enough to drive away others who were afraid of the HBIC. But not her.

“I’m just worried about you. You can talk to me if you want.”

_Can I?_ Cheryl considered for a brief second. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she could tell what had happened? The fear she’d felt when she locked her bedroom door, fearing that one of her mother’s ‘guests’ would try pay a visit to Penelope’s daughter? Or the horrified she had felt upon entering the living room and finding her mother making out with another unknown man? Cheryl shook her head. She couldn’t risk telling that to anyone, especially someone from the Southside. Especially a Serpent. She couldn’t be sure someone wouldn’t use that against her. She was already going through enough humiliation.

Toni noticed exactly when the bitch-queen-persona took over. She knew she had come close to knowing what the hell was going on, but she couldn’t understand what she had done wrong.

“Well, I don’t. I appreciate your concern, but it’s totally unnecessary.”

And without saying another word, she left a speechless and a bit frustrated Toni behind.

When the final bell rang, Cheryl sighed.

She headed toward the parking lot, wishing that at least that day she had somewhere else to go other than her home. She was not anxious to return to the brothel-attempt her mother was transforming their house into. She was about to pick up her cell phone and send a message to the Vixens group when she noticed something in the corner of her eyes. Away from the cars and near the trees was a figure. His face was covered by a dark hood. It was the same person she’d seen in the morning on her way to school.

Although he was at a considerable distance, Cheryl knew the figure was looking at _her_.

She felt a chill run down her spine and although she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, she couldn’t move.

“I swear I can’t do this anymore” Sweet Pea whined, not far away.

Fangs and Toni were by his side and both held their laughter as they were walking through the parking lot.

“I have no idea why we gotta study this crap.”

Toni rolled her eyes.

“Well, I’m not one to defend math, but you should try harder next time.”

“How?” He seemed to find it impossible.

“Take your eyes off Josie for a start” Fangs suggested as he playfully slapped his friend on the head.

“What-? I’m not- What the _hell_!” The taller Serpent tried to defend himself but failed miserably.

Fangs laughed out loud, but the pink-haired girl wasn’t listening anymore. Her eyes got caught in Cheryl’s scared expression. The redhead was staring at a spot, but when Toni followed her gaze, she saw nothing.

“Cheryl?” she asked as she approached. “What happened?”

As if a button had been pressed, Cheryl emerged from her stupor. Turning toward Toni, she smiled, and Toni could clearly see it was fake one. She could see right through Cheryl’s barriers, whether the redhead liked it or not.

“Nothing, silly. I’m waiting for my Vixens.” Cheryl could barely believe in her own lie. “Not that I owe _you_ any explanations.”

“Yeah, yeah” the other girl dismissed the attitude.

“Can I help you with anything?”

The false tone almost made Toni growl in frustration. Instead, she took a deep breath. What the hell she had done to cause that attitude on Cheryl, she had no idea. Still, she couldn’t help worrying about the redhead.

“Look” Toni tried. “Just for you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to… I’m right here.”

Any response Cheryl was about to give died on her lips when she heard someone call her name.

Topaz noticed the group of cheerleaders watching them and by the way they were staring at the two girls, she knew she wasn’t welcome.

_What’s wrong with the girls in this school?_

Wanting to avoid any kind of fight, Toni started to walk away.

“Well, I gotta go. Gotta get back to _whatever Serpents do for living._ ” She quoted. Cheryl swallowed, a part of her regretting her own words. “You take care.”

Toni turned on her heel and walked toward Fangs and Sweet Pea, who were watching the scene with their arms crossed.

“What that Serpent _scum_ said to you?” one of the Vixens asked, disgust clear in her voice.

“Nothing.” Cheryl answered, absently looking at the girl who was walking away. Realizing what the blonde had asked, Cheryl stared at her with narrowed eyes. “Don’t call her that _ever_ again” she warned.

Without Cheryl knowing, Toni heard the answer and couldn’t hold back a surprised smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any thoughts?


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo 
> 
> This chapter turned out to be a little bit longer than I expected, but oh well at least it means my muse is inspired. I'll just try and enjoy it while I can
> 
> Btw thank you for the kudos and the comments, it really made my day!

Toni Topaz woke up to the sound of grunts and things breaking. She turned to the other side and closed her eyes again. There was no reason to check it out; it was probably her drunken uncle again. She didn’t need that first thing in the morning. She allowed herself a few more moments in bed before getting up. Toni changed her clothes, put on her remarkable serpent jacket and went into the living room. Seeing her uncle passed out on the couch, she decided she would grab coffee somewhere else. She was already unlocking the door when she heard her uncle mutter.

“Where you goin'?”

“School” she said, not in the mood for talking. She rolled her eyes when he tried to get up and failed. “At least someone in this family should have some perspective.”

“You think you’re better than me. I’m done with your attitude, young lady.”

Toni simply ignored him and tried to open the door.

“Just try not to break anything else” she asked, leaving just in time before a bottle was thrown against the door.

She went looking for her friends and was a little surprised to see Fangs coming in her direction. It was relatively early, and she didn’t expect anyone to be awake.

“Topaz” he greeted. “Everything okay?”

“One of these days I might kick him out of that trailer” she blurted, running a hand through her hair.

“Count on me, Topaz. You should call Sweet Pea as well; you know he’s always ready for a fight.”

Tony laughed quietly.

“Movies tonight?” he offered. Fangs knew Toni wasn’t much of a talker. She was more the kind to enjoy the moment – he'd lost count of how many times Toni had jumped on her bike and be gone for a few hours, coming back looking better. No one knew where she would go. “Popcorn’s on me this time!”

“Wow, now we’re talking. That would be great.” Toni smiled, appreciating her friend’s effort. More than anyone, Toni knew the best family you could have was not blood related. She couldn’t begin to tell how important the Serpents had become; Sweet Pea and Fangs being the best brothers she had never had.

Fangs Fogarty had some problems with time. His ability to go on sleeping unbothered, even with the alarm clock ringing, was known to the other Serpents and was the reason to make some of them a little angry. Knowing this, Topaz wasn’t surprised at all when she checked her watch and noticed that Fangs was almost half an hour late. To avoid what she knew was going to happen, she had arranged to meet an hour before the session, allowing time for Fangs to be a little late but still be on time.

Toni’s concern was interrupted by a phone call, in which the name of the Serpent responsible for making her wait appeared on her screen. Something about a last-minute Serpents mission and JP saying he needed backup was the reason he wasn’t there. Fangs was feeling guilty, apologized a million times and promised he would make up for that. Toni hung up the phone and sighed. She couldn’t hold it against him. They were part of a community and if one needed help, the others would be there. No questions asked. Toni only questioned the irony of the universe that the chosen backup of the night had to be precisely Fangs.

Leaving Serpents’ problems aside, Toni considered what to do. Should she watch the movie on her own? She was already there, after all. And if anyone asked her, she wasn’t so interested in coming home. She didn’t want to run into her uncle just yet, and if Fangs was on a mission, it meant that Sweets had probably gone along – leaving her without the option of an extra couch in case something went wrong in her home.

They wouldn’t be back soon, which left her without many options at that time. Shrugging, she decided she was going to watch the movie and was about to go buy a ticket when she saw someone.

Toni knew that remarkable red hair couldn’t belong to anyone else.

Cheryl Blossom.

The Serpent looked around and didn’t notice any of Cheryl’s usual friends near her.

_All clear._

“Let me guess. Some cherry Cola for Cheryl Bombshell.” Toni said as she approached.

Cheryl looked startled for a moment and turned to face the owner of that voice. She almost couldn’t believe her eyes.

“My _God_. What do you want? And why do you keep stalking me?”

“I’m _not_.” Toni emphasized. “I came to see this movie with Fangs, and he bailed on me.” The redhead didn’t seem entirely interested in her explanation, and Toni noticed that the usually confident and unflappable cheerleader looked a little different. Her eyes carried the hint of sadness that didn’t go unnoticed by the Serpent. “Are you okay?”

“I’m alone at the movies and I’m trying to stay away from my mother who has turned our house in her sexual playpen.” Toni was expecting a rude answer, like the ones she’d received before. So, she was a little taken aback by that confession. “So, no… I am really not.”

“Well, I was going to grab a seat alone, unless you want some company” she gently offered. “But… No pressure.”

The gentle proposal and Toni’s smirk were enough to make the redhead smile as she took a sip of her cherry Cola.

“Now you may think you’ve mastered the art of silent tears, but I saw you crying during that movie, Cheryl.” Toni had been dying to comment since they left the session, but she didn’t want to ask a lot of questions there. She wanted to wait for the right moment.

“I never cry at movies. Real life’s tragic enough,” she tried to joke, but she could feel the lump in her throat. “But when Simon’s mom said he used to be such a carefree kid, growing up, and then at a certain point he stopped being that happy kid because he was hiding a secret, it just…”

“Cheryl…” Toni could see the other girl was about to break down.

“Everyone thinks I’m this loveless monster, but it isn’t true.” She sobbed, and that almost broke Toni’s heart. “I loved someone who loved me. And my mother destroyed it.”

“You mean your brother Jason? I heard how close you guys were.”

“No, not Jay-Jay. Her name was Heather.”

_Oh._

“She was my best friend in junior high.” Cheryl continued. “She used to sleep over every weekend. Until one night, my mother caught us in the same bed. She said I was deviant.”

Wow that was so fucked up. Toni never really met her parents, having been raised by her grandfather and sometimes her uncle – although it couldn’t be said that he was a positive influence when she was growing up. And she could empathize with what Cheryl was going through. When her uncle found out that Toni liked girls too… Well, some of the fights weren’t pretty.

But Toni could see that Cheryl really believed that. How many times was she told that sort of thing to the point that she _believed_ Penelope was right?

“Cheryl, I am so sorry. But you have to know your mother’s wrong. You’re not loveless. You’re not deviant. Okay? You’re… sensational.” She breathed as reached out to hold Cheryl’s hand.

In her eyes, Cheryl was a force of nature. She didn’t know all the details, but she knew Cheryl had gone through a lot, and still she would show up strong and confident every day. Topaz couldn’t believe that was the way Cheryl felt about herself – and she was also grateful the redhead had shared it with her.

Cheryl looked deep into chocolate-brown eyes and saw nothing but pure honesty and care in them. “Come, I’ll take you home.”

“Such a gentleman, TT.” Cheryl teased as they walked to where the bike was parked.

“I try my best.” Tony shrugged as she handed Cheryl the helmet.

“Promise you’ll go slow this time” she asked as she fumbled with the chin strap. She still hasn’t gotten the handle of it and was thankful when Toni helped her. She swallowed hard as she felt Toni’s fingers brushing against her skin.

“There you go.” Toni muttered softly. She noticed when Cheryl stiffened and figured it was about the ride. “And don’t worry, you’re safe with me.”

Cheryl did feel safe, but she decided she would die before admitting it out loud.

Toni started the engine and pulled out of Pop’s parking lot, feeling Cheryl’s hands clutch at her jacket. She kept her promise and started riding toward Thistlehouse, much slower than their drive to the diner.

“Is it slowly enough for you, _Bombshell_?” Toni teased, making Cheryl roll her eyes.

“Maybe you could go faster” the redhead suggested, trying to sound a bit nonchalantly.

Toni raised an eyebrow, “Feeling braver tonight?”

 _Safer_ , Cheryl corrected her mentally.

“You know what they say. _Carpe diem._ ” Cheryl tapped Toni’s arm. “C’mon, faster.”

The Serpent laughed.

“Whatever you want, Cher.” She turned her face to look briefly at the girl. “But you’ll have to hold me a bit stronger than that.”

“Yeah, you wish–” The sentence was cut off when Toni playfully accelerated a little, earning a yelp from the redhead. Instinctively, Cheryl wrapped around Toni’s small waist and held tight.

Topaz smirked and sped up a little more, being careful not to exceed the speed limit. She used to ride faster than that, but it was still night and she wasn’t alone. After a turn, Toni took a sharp intake of breath when she felt arms hug her tighter and Cheryl’s thighs pressed more firmly against her own.

Honestly, she should win the award for highest concentration of the year for keeping both of them on the road.

Cheryl was oblivious to the sensations she was causing on the other girl – she was busy feeling her own overwhelming her. The vibration of the bike, the speed, the feeling of being so close to Toni that the cold night air didn’t bother her, and that wonderful and incredible feeling of _freedom_. Cheryl Blossom could never have imagined that she would feel so good on the back of a motorcycle and for a moment she wished Toni just kept going. It didn’t matter where. She dared to close her eyes to absorb all of it better, and the warmth in her chest resulted in a laugh – and as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t tell how long it had been since she had laughed like that. The trip to Cheryl’s house didn’t take long. As soon as Toni parked, they got off the bike and Toni helped the redhead out of her helmet. Toni raised an eyebrow and tilted her head when she noticed something different on Cheryl’s face. She was smiling.

A true, honest and _beautiful_ smile that made Toni’s heart skip a beat.

“Careful, Bombshell. One might say you almost had fun tonight.”

Cheryl allowed herself to giggle. She couldn’t think of any ironic line at that moment, not when she was feeling so… _free_. Like she hasn’t felt in _ages_.

“Don’t flatter yourself” she managed to say. “But yes. Tonight has been… fun.”

Topaz couldn’t agree more. At the end of the night, she was thanking Fangs for blowing her off. After all she got to spend time with the redhead. The one who was still smiling and looking at Toni with a twinkle in her eye. She couldn’t help but wish she could make her smile more often.

“You’re staring” Cheryl pointed out and immediately ran her hand through her locks. “Is something wrong with my hair?”

“No, you…” Toni tried to choose carefully her next words. “You look sensational.”

It was the second time that night Toni had called her that and Cheryl looked at the ground, hoping it was dark enough to cover the sudden blush on her cheeks.

“Yes, well” Cheryl said after a couple of seconds. “You’re no so bad yourself, TT.”

They went silent for a moment, until a noise inside the house made Cheryl realize where she was. Her mother’s last actions invaded Cheryl’s thoughts as a painful reminder of what her home had become. The day turned out to be much better than she had imagined, and she didn’t want that evening to end badly.

“You should go” she blurted out, regretting her words as soon as she saw the glint of sadness in Toni’s eyes. “Wanna get rid of me that fast?”

“ _No!_ ” Cheryl said, a bit too fast, reaching for Toni’s hand before the other girl could climb on the bike. “I just don’t want you to run into one of my mother’s… _companions_.”

Toni’s gaze softened at that.

“Give me your phone.”

A little curious, the young Blossom handed over her cell phone and watched as Toni typed something quickly on it.

“Now you have my number.” Toni said as she gave the phone back. “Lock your door and call me if you need anything.”

Cheryl couldn’t understand why the girl was being so nice to her. Looking back at their last interactions, Cheryl doubted she had done anything to deserve such attention. She really wasn’t used to kindness.

Feeling her heart clench, Cheryl stepped forward and hugged the shorter girl. Toni was taken by surprise and it took her a couple of seconds to understand what was happening. She wrapped her arms around Cheryl and hugged her back, closing her eyes as she drew the other girl impossibly closer. The young Blossom almost melted in the warm embrace and wished she could just stay there.

“Thank you, TT.” Cheryl said quietly as she took a step back, already missing the warmness of Toni’s body.

“Anytime.” Toni smiled. And she really meant that.

Toni waited for Cheryl to get in to start the bike and drive away, her heart still pounding fast in her chest.


	4. Chapter 3

The next day Cheryl woke up feeling much better. Penelope Blossom’s interrogation of who had a motorcycle in front of her house wasn’t enough to affect the good mood the redhead found herself in. Not even the strange noises and laughter of some unknown man coming up the stairs and toward her mother’s room made any difference.

Cheryl could have sworn she could still smell the soft scent of Toni Topaz’s perfume lingering on her skin.

Her good mood lasted all the way to school but faded a bit when she noticed that the reason for her good feeling wasn’t anywhere to be found. But that was fine, they didn’t have many classes together. The minutes dragged on and Cheryl waited anxiously for the break.

_Get a grip, girl_. Cheryl thought to herself as she literally controlled herself not to run into the cafeteria.

After getting her food, Cheryl went to her usual table, glancing over at the people there. For a moment she considered whether she should have texted Toni, at least to make sure she got home safely. The emotional exhaustion of the previous day had taken its toll and she had collapsed into bed soon after changing clothes. She hadn’t texted in the morning, since she thought she’d see Toni in a few hours and didn’t want to look too clingy.

That made her roll her eyes. Really, Cheryl Blossom and ‘clingy’ did _not_ belong in the same sentence.

But it was still Riverdale. Strange and dangerous things kept happening and it was no exaggeration to believe that anything could happen. It was night. Toni was on a motorcycle. Something could’ve…

“Hello, cherry bomb” a voice behind her brought her back from the confusion of her thoughts.

“Toni.” Cheryl breathed, almost relieved.

Toni slumped down heavily into the seat next to Cheryl.

“You’re late” the redhead stated, but her tone wasn’t judgmental. If anything, she seemed worried. “How did you get in?”

“I have my ways.” Toni shrugged and regretted it when the movement stirred her aching shoulder.

Cheryl lifted an eyebrow, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sure. Just… you know. Family issues.” Toni tried to laugh it off. Cheryl was buying none of it, but before she could ask anything, they were interrupted by Veronica.

“Cheryl Blossom. Mixing with the ones you consider to be below you?”

“Veronica, you may one of my Vixens, but I owe you no explanation.”

Expecting exactly that kind of answer, Veronica just smiled.

“Whatever. Did you hear about the attack?”

That caught their attention.

“What are you talking about?”

“He attacked again. The Black Hood. Moose and Midge were shot last night.”

At the mention of that name, Cheryl paled. The details Veronica knew fell on deaf ears as frightening thoughts invaded Cheryl’s mind. Memories of the last time Cheryl had seen him overpowered her feelings and she had to work hard to pay attention to whatever Veronica was talking about. Something about a car and… _Jingle Jangle_?

“Anyways, I’m really worried about Archie.” Veronica concluded.

“And what does you precious _Archiekins_ has to do with that?”

Ronnie ran a hand over her face and both girls noticed that the brunette looked frustrated. “After everything that happened at Pop's and his dad, Archie is… restless. He has this fixed idea of taking down the Black Hood and nothing I say seems to make him change his mind. He mentioned something about talking to the Bulldogs. He doesn’t want that to happen to anyone else.”

“Always the hero.” Cheryl spoke in a mocking tone.

“That’s my Archiekins.” Veronica smiled, but it was clear she was worried about her boyfriend’s ideas. She turned her attention to Cheryl. “Hey, by the way, are we having practice today?”

“Of course, we are.” Cheryl answered, matter-of-factly. “No serial killer will get in the way of my plans. If you see your boyfriend, tell him I need to talk to him.”

Veronica seemed to accept the explanation and to be honest with herself, she didn’t expect another response from Cheryl. The brunette said goodbye and went out to meet Archie, not without first casting a curious look at the pair.

Toni noticed the look but said nothing. She took a deep breath and turned in her seat to face Cheryl – she needed to talk to her and didn’t know how the redhead would react. “Cher, I need to talk to you” Toni began. Cheryl was looking at her phone, ready to confirm the training with the Vixens, but she dropped everything and looked at Toni worriedly.

“Something’s wrong?”

“Not exactly, just... Something came up” she paused for a second. “I won’t make to practice today.”

Of all the things that went through Cheryl’s mind, that was definitely not one of them.

“And what could have happened that is more important than that? The day of our performance is coming, you just joined the team and can’t afford to lose any practice. We need to be flawless.”

Topaz doubted that with her bruised shoulder she could _flawlessly_ perform some of the movements but telling the real reason would also involve telling what had happened, and Toni wasn’t ready to just drop everything into the redhead’s lap. The brief excuses she had thought about simply evaporated from her mind under Cheryl’s serious gaze, who impatiently awaited an answer.

Of all the alternatives, Toni decided to leave and couldn’t be more grateful when Archie approached.

“Cheryl? Ronnie told me you wanted to talk to me?”

“Not now, Archie. I’m in the middle of something here.” Cheryl dismissed him without taking her eyes off Toni.

The Serpent girl smiled at Archie and took the opportunity to get up.

“It's fine. I was about to go talk to Jug, anyways.” Toni waved them goodbye and left, feeling Cheryl’s furious gaze burn at her back.

“Cheryl? Is everything okay?”

The redhead was looking somewhere behind Archie, following Toni with her gaze, and raised an eyebrow when she noticed the pink-haired girl walk straight past Jughead and his friends.

“Not exactly.” Cheryl muttered. She had no idea what was going on, but she would have to talk to Toni another time. When Topaz left her sight, she turned her attention back to Archie. “We need to talk. In a calmer place.”

“Well, I have some minutes, but–”

Cheryl cut him off with a wave of her hand, “It’s about the Black Hood.”

Other words couldn’t have caught more of Archie’s attention.

Talking to Archie was practically pointless, which made Cheryl a little frustrated, to say the least. She was hoping that Archie’s “stupid hero” side would listen and believe in her and frankly? She didn’t understand why he didn’t. Andrews seemed so desperate to find and follow any clues regarding the Black Hood; he still clearly felt guilty about what happened to his father at Pop’s. Disbelieving what Cheryl had seen made no sense at all.

Cheryl was mentally debating the boy’s attitudes when she saw a certain Serpent close her locker with greater force than necessary and leave. Without much thought, Cheryl changed her direction and followed the girl, hoping she would finally get an explanation for her previous strange behavior.

At least she thought she _deserved_ an explanation.

The day before had been pretty great and Toni looked happy by the time she left. She needed to find out what had happened in the meantime.

Toni watched her reflection in the mirror. She couldn’t contain her sigh as she took off her jacket. It was really hot that day, but it’s not like she could just take it off in the middle of the classroom. She had already had to answer the bunch of questions of a very angry Sweet Pea and was not in the mood to answer other questions at school. Sweet Pea was at least part of her life.

She turned and looked over her shoulder, grimacing at the purple marks covering the back of her shoulder. That would surely take a while to fade away – perhaps the same amount of time for the hand mark on her arm to be gone as well.

“Is this the real reason why you’re skipping today’s practice?”

_Shit._

Toni closed her eyes for a second before opening them to face Cheryl.

“Cheryl, I…”

“What the hell happened?” She cut her off as she approached.

“It’s nothing.” Toni reached for her jacket, but Cheryl stopped her.

The words got caught in her throat as she felt Cheryl’s fingers examine her shoulder, the touch so soft that Toni wouldn’t have noticed it if it weren’t for the goosebumps erupting on her skin.

“It’s not nothing.” Toni didn’t think Cheryl would actually believe that, did she? The redhead continued her exploration, gently sliding her hand down Toni’s arm until she reached the hand mark. From the reflection in the mirror, Toni could see Cheryl’s worried expression change to one of fury, but when their eyes met, she felt that fury could never be directed at _her_. “Who did that to you?”

Cheryl was suspicious, wasn’t she?

_Fuck it_ , Topaz thought.

“I basically called my uncle useless yesterday. Apparently, the amount of alcohol he drank wasn’t enough for him to forget about it.” Toni shrugged. “We discussed today. He tried to kick me out of the trailer. I didn’t want to go. He got more aggressive.”

Cheryl swallowed hard. She knew very little about Toni’s life, and even less about the Serpents. She knew they had a different lifestyle and that this was often dangerous and just the thought of Toni not being completely safe in her own home, made Cheryl uneasy. She knew what it felt like.

“I am so sorry, TT.” Cheryl muttered, her hand still on Toni’s arm and only letting go when the other girl turned to face her. Cheryl only then noticed how close they were, enough for her to smell Toni’s perfume. “I shouldn’t have reacted that way. If I knew…"

“But you didn’t.” Toni offered her a sad smile. Cheryl had nothing to do with it – she wasn’t supposed to know anything about that in the first place.

“You need to talk to someone”

“Sweets already knows, and he got so pissed off I could barely hold him up. Trust me, he was ready to break all my uncle’s bones.”

“And why, pray tell, didn’t you let him?” She asked as calmly as she could. Cheryl couldn’t blame Sweet Pea. At that moment, she knew she would kill that verm herself, given the chance.

“He… He’s still family.” Toni shrugged. It had happened so many times that she had learned to deal with her uncle. “But no worries. I’ll crash at Sweets ‘till I can figure something out.”

But those words weren’t enough to calm the apprehension Cheryl was still feeling.

"Well, I’d better go," Toni said, breaking the moment. She reached for her jacket and this time Cheryl didn’t stop her. Toni put on the jacket with some difficulty and looked at Cheryl before heading for the door. “I’m so sorry for the practice. It’s important to me and I know you care about that a lot.”

“It’s not the only thing I care about, TT.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and/or comments can really warm a writer's heart!


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey, guys  
> Thank you so much for all the kudos, comments and hits. Honestly, I never thought someone would like to read this, but now I'm glad I posted it. *sighs* really happy here  
> And once again, all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Happy Holidays to everyone! <3

Cheryl was very bothered by what she had seen. She didn’t know why, but she was genuinely worried about Toni. Well, she’d be worried about any girl in that situation, even if it wasn’t someone close to her. But the image of Toni’s injured shoulder didn’t get out of her mind and Cheryl had to fight to keep her focus 100% on practice that afternoon. Despite their best efforts, some of the girls realized that something about their cheerleader was off, especially Betty and Veronica, who exchanged a worried look when one of the girls missed a step.

Veronica winced as Cheryl stiffened and shot the poor girl a furious glare.

“You have got to be kidding me.” The redhead smiled, but there was no trace of amusement in her gaze, quite the opposite. The fire behind her eyes made all the girls step back, away from the target of Cheryl’s anger. “We have been training for long weeks, the season is coming and We. Can’t. Fail. Am I the only one who cares here?”

Cheryl sighed deeply, none of the girls brave enough to meet her eyes.

“Practice is over for today.” She announced, watching as all the Vixens made their best effort not to show surprise. “Same time tomorrow. And you better be prepared, or so help me God.”

In solidarity, the Vixens approached the about-to-burst-into-tears young girl, none of them daring to enter the locker room while Cheryl was there.

It wasn’t the first time Cheryl had lost it and snapped at her cheerleaders – the River Vixens was really important to her and the last thing Cheryl wanted was for something to go wrong during a performance. But nothing like that would happen, not as long as she was the leader of that group. Either way, the redhead knew she had exaggerated a little. The wrong movement wouldn’t jeopardize all the choreography and was just a matter of some adjustment. But Cheryl was unwilling to do that today.

Sitting on one of the benches, Cheryl put her hands on her head and sighed. Maybe practice wasn’t the main reason she broke out. A certain pink-haired Serpent wouldn’t leave her mind.

Because Cheryl was worried, of course. Worried about the marks she’d seen – it didn’t matter how hard she tried to distract herself, those thoughts kept coming back. And the softness of Toni’s tanned skin under her touch. The smooth, perfect skin someone had had the audacity to hurt. Cheryl could feel the anger building in her chest all over again. She had to do something about it. She had to know if Toni was really okay.

Rising to her feet, Cheryl changed as quickly as she could, packed her things, and marched all the way to the parking lot.

She didn't know where the girl was, but she thought her best chance would be at Pop's.

But the only people in the dinar at that time were a couple and a few young people sitting at a remote table; none of them were Toni. But Cheryl wasn’t going to give up on her mission just yet. Instead, she placed an order, thankful that Pop Tate was a master at knowing most people’s favorites foods there.

While waiting for the order, she tried to text Toni.

_‘Hey, where are you?’_

_‘On my way to the WW, bout to start my shift.’_

The young Blossom could hardly hide her disappointment. She suspected Toni might work today, but she was hoping they could talk before that. Before she could type an answer, another notification popped up.

_‘Is everything ok? Are u okay?’_

Cheryl’s heart warmed a little at Toni’s concern.

_‘Yeah, sure. I really hope you’re not typing while driving. Anyway, I was hoping we could talk.’_

_‘Course not._ _I’m not_ that _stupid._ _I'm on foot so I think you can reach me.’_

The timing couldn’t be more perfect because once she finished reading the message, her order was ready. Cheryl paid and thanked Pop while sending Topaz another text, informing her that she had a surprise.

“So, what’s the surprise?” Toni asked in greeting, unable to hide her curiosity.

Cheryl smiled and reached for the back seat, grabbing the bag and offering it to Toni.

“I ordered your usual at Pop’s. I know you’re not feeling alright today, so I figured you could use some comfort food.”

“Wow.” Toni said as she opened the bag and looked at the food. She hadn’t eaten all day and by seeing the burger, her stomach growled softly. Before attacking the food, Toni looked at Cheryl and bit her lip. “That was really kind of you.”

“I suppose I can be kind when I want to.” She replied and gestured to the bag so Toni would start eating. Cheryl was more than satisfied to see that her plan had worked out and that she could make the Serpent feel a little better that day.

Toni dived into the food, and as Cheryl accompanied her, pinching a french fry here and there, the redhead convinced herself that this was probably the girl’s first meal of the day, considering the fight she had had with her uncle and the way she ignored her food in the cafeteria earlier.

“What time do you start?” Cheryl asked as soon as they finished eating.

Topaz checked her phone, “Gotta be there in less than an hour.”

“I’ll drive you.”

Toni didn’t question, just leaned back and enjoyed the trip. They were sharing a comfortable silence, the two girls lost in their own thoughts. But since Toni’s weren’t taking her to a good place, she turned her head slightly towards Cheryl, and was about to ask a random question, but let the words get stuck in her throat – she didn’t want to break that moment.

Cheryl’s eyes were fixed on the road, and although she seemed distracted by her thoughts, the way she controlled the car gave no hint that her attention wasn’t 100% on what she was doing. Her long, wavy hair that had once fallen over her left shoulder, now flew softly in the wind, gaining an even redder, almost golden hue from the sunset light.

She was _beautiful._

Topaz wished she had brought her camera, but had to settle for her memory to save that moment.

As she knew the area better, Toni gave directions until they finally arrived at the Whyte Wyrm. Cheryl parked her Impala in a slightly wider parking space. They still had some time and Cheryl was hoping she could find out exactly what had happened to unsettle the other girl. At that moment a motorcycle came into the parking lot, which made Cheryl realize something.

“Where’s your motorcycle? I thought you rode everywhere on that.”

“Yeah, well… I needed some time alone. But I didn’t want to get here so fast. I think I was so distracted that I just… I walked here.” Toni explained.

“Are you feeling any better?” Cheryl asked, worried.

"Actually, I am." She replied and she was being honest. Those minutes with the redhead made her feel better than her walk alone before.

“How’s your shoulder?” Cheryl noticed that Toni still had her jacket on.

“Still hurts. I’ll get better, eventually.” Toni massaged said shoulder lightly. Seeing Cheryl’s still worried look, she smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m really tough.”

“I know.” It didn’t mean she didn’t care anyway. “Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?”

“Yeah, Sweets’ couch. I swear it’s better than it sounds.” She added when the redhead made a small grimace.

“You could stay at Thistlehouse for a couple days, you know.” Cheryl offered, calmly. She didn't want to impose herself or any of that. But she wanted Topaz to know she would have a way out if she wanted.

“You sure? Wouldn’t your mother like… _Freak out_?”

“Probably.” Cheryl conceded. “But I’m willing to risk it.”

“Why?”

Truth is; Cheryl was at a loss for words.

“Like I said before, the River Vixens aren’t the only thing I care about. But I’d understand if you thought so. You’d be surprised at the things people here seem to think about me.” Cheryl spoke softly and Toni saw that it hurt her.

“Well, I’ve heard some things about you.”

“Oh?” The redhead wasn’t very surprised. Riverdale was a small town, after all. And Cheryl knew that people could _talk_. “And what did these poor mortals have to say about _moi_?” Cheryl raised an eyebrow, trying to sound unbothered, but it was too late. Toni was able to see the glint of insecurity flash across Cheryl’s eyes.

“Doesn’t matter. I don’t give a damn what they say, Cher.” Toni was a victim herself. Living in Southside was enough to earn some crooked glances, not to mention that she was part of a freaking gang. That alone was enough to create absurd rumors about her. The kind of thing that was spread by people like Cheryl Blossom.

Rich, spoiled, and sometimes arrogant self-proclaimed Queen Bee. From the first time she saw the Blossom’s heiress in that crazy Drag Race, Toni had heard murmurs about the Northsider’s personality. And since then, she chose to ignore it all. And apparently, her decision was starting to pay off. She started to see a different side of Cheryl.

The girls talked for a while longer until Toni announced that it was time for her to go, even if she didn’t seem very happy about it.

With a smile, Cheryl said goodbye to Toni and started the car, maneuvering out of Whyte Wyrm’s parking lot.

She noticed the curious glances of some Serpents coming to the bar and laughed to herself wondering what they might think of seeing Cheryl Blossom in such an unusual place.

Spending time with the Serpent girl had been rather enjoyable, especially considering that Cheryl didn’t need to keep her HBIC pose. Toni didn’t seem to be shaken by her actions. The redhead could only imagine the sort of things the Riverdale gossipers had commented about the Blossom’s heiress, but Toni didn’t seem to mind the gossip, treating her so well and actually _talking_ to her. She was beginning to feel that she could finally be herself with someone, and despite being a little scary, Cheryl couldn’t deny that it was liberating, like taking a huge weight off her shoulders.

Reluctantly, Cheryl noticed she had to stop for some gas before resuming her way to Thistlehouse. As much as talking to Toni had been the highlight of her day, the conversation had taken longer than she had initially thought, and it was starting to get dark.

The stop at the gas station didn’t take long, and soon Cheryl was on her way again. But something was off. Her car was making a strange noise.

“For the love of God. What could possibly go wrong now?”

The redhead decided to get out of the car to see what was going on, but left the engine running, just in case.

After a quick look, Cheryl noticed that her Impala’s back tire was flat, but she couldn’t tell exactly what had happened as an approaching car caught her attention.

The car stopped not too far from where she was. Maybe someone had stopped to help her. But Cheryl couldn’t ignore the bad feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

She saw someone get out of the car, but unable to see exactly who it was, the headlight was bright and impaired her vision. The only thing she could make out was a silhouette coming toward her. Cheryl swallowed and reached for the bow she’d left in the back seat of her Impala – she really didn’t care if she was overreacting.

Something was wrong.

The person waved and Cheryl attached an arrow to the string, ready to fire if he made a sudden move.

The movement wasn’t sudden, but it was enough to make Cheryl’s hair stand up on the back of her neck.

The strange man reached for something on his back and came back with something that looked like a machete. A bloody _machete_.

The flat tire had not been an accident.

With a move that was almost second nature to her, Cheryl raised her bow and held it toward her target. She didn’t usually aim to _kill_ , but in that case, she aimed for the heart.

He swung the machete and a brief second before Cheryl shoot, the light went out. A chill ran down her spine. She didn’t know if she had misfired.

Not willing to risk her life to know if the arrow had found its target or not, Cheryl quickly got into the car, closed the door and sped up, her heart pounding in her chest when she heard something pounding hard against the back of her car.

Even with the flat tire, it wasn’t that time her brother’s car let her down. Cheryl drove as fast as she could to the safety of her home, looking in the rearview mirror every now and then to make sure she wasn’t being followed.

Cheryl didn’t know if her shot was accurate or at least her reaction was enough to scare the strange man, but she sighed deeply when she saw she was alone.

She parked in front of Thistlehouse and turned off the engine.

Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat.

_‘Had a really good time today. Let me know when you get home safe.’_

Even shaken by events less than an hour ago, Cheryl basically melted at those words. She did get home safe, but it was a close call. She was tempted to tell what had happened, even started typing the message, but quickly deleted it. Toni was already going through enough and it wasn’t as if something _had_ happened.

She was at home. Trembling, nervous, trying to control her breathing. But alive. There was no reason to bother the other girl. As much as Cheryl would have loved to hear Toni’s voice at that moment.

_‘I’ve just arrived. Everything’s fine.’_

_‘Glad to hear that. Thank you again for today. Who would’ve thought Cheryl bombshell is actually a nice person?’_

_‘Careful, Serpent. I dare you to tell it to someone.’_

_‘And miss the chance to know more about this Cheryl? Tnx, I'll pass. U know, maybe we could hang out another time.’_

Could it possibly be a joke? Toni Topaz actually wanted to meet her again? Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Cheryl answered the only way she could:

_‘I’d love to.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!
> 
> Btw if anyone is interested, I could really use a beta! You can send me a message here or reach me at tt @ka_buzzi.
> 
> Till next time!


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sooooo sorry for the wait, guys!  
> The infamous writer's block hit me over the holidays and I got lost. Also, I started at a new job and it got in the way of things as well *sighs* Anyways, no more excuses! I wrote a chapter so long I had to break in two, soooo here we go!

All Toni wanted was a calm, uneventful night.

But with the universe plotting against her, it was too much to ask for.

The bar was at its full capacity since early evening. It was an important Serpent’s birthday and in the absence of a better place to go, everyone decided to celebrate at the Whyte Wyrm.

A Serpent gathering usually meant absurd amounts of alcohol and an _actual_ _celebration_? – that directly means a whole lotta work for Toni. She was the best bartender in the house and although she was grateful for Sweet Pea’s help that night, she was the only one who could focus on more than one thing at a time.

She couldn't help but groan when the tall Serpent delivered the ‘drinks list’.

“This is gonna be a long night,” she said under her breath. “Damn time I mentioned I knew how to mix drinks.”

“Don’t know what we’d do without your skillfull hands, Topaz.”

“Nah, shut up, Sweets.” Toni replied with a smack to his shoulder.

Most days she didn’t hate working at Whyte Wyrm. She had to deal with drunks more than she wanted, but it was the easiest way to make money legally. And bonus, she could drink all the beer she wanted (or needed) as long as she could keep serving. When you stopped to think, technically she didn’t make the money _legally_. But she wasn’t dealing with drugs directly, so... _Oh well_. They all needed a way to survive.

“Did you see who was here today?”

The older Serpent of the group rolled his eyes.

Toni rolled her eyes as well. It was just gossip and she had better thing to do. After handing over the beers, she started to walk away.

“Who?”

“That Blossom redhead. She had just left when I got here.”

“What the fuck was she doing here?”

Toni felt a chill run down her spine. She should have imagined that anyone from Northside in that area was going to draw attention, let alone Cheryl Blossom in person.

“Have no idea. But I gotta tell you. She looked smokin’ hot.”

Toni shook her head; the talk was making her sick.

“She's just trying to get attention. I mean, all that _red_? What about those clothes? C’mon.”

“She’s trying to lure the next man. Specially after the other Blossom died.”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t know?” The blond one seemed incredulous. Everybody knew the rumors about the Blossoms twins. “Jason and his sister…”

He didn't finish, choosing to make a suggestive movement with the waist instead.

Toni couldn’t listen anymore.

She was beyond disgusted.

How dare they talk that kind of shit?

She was so _fucking_ pissed.

It took her everything in her power not to go to the table of those idiots and smash their heads against the table until the only 'red' they would talk about would be the blood coming out of their noses.

If you asked around, some would say she had a bad temper.

Toni wouldn't deny it entirely but would insist on the fact that she considered herself quite patient. She was part of a gang and her bad temper saved her ass more than once. She had had her share of fights, trying a more peaceful attitude lately.

And she really was achieving her goal.

But it was going to end tonight.

She shot the group a furious glare when one of the guys made a joke and the others laughed out loud.

“You okay, Toni?”

“Perfect.” She answered without taking her eyes off her target. “Why do you ask?”

“Are you serious?” He scoffed. “You’re making the drink _bleed_.”

Although the mix she was preparing was indeed red, she knew Sweet Pea was not referring to its color. Toni was doing everything so angrily, grabbing the bottle with such a force her knuckles were white.

“Isn’t your uncle over there?” When Toni didn’t respond, he glanced around the room, trying to find out what – or _who_ – pissed off his friend.

Interestingly, her uncle was at the same table as those jerks, halfway drunk already. She wasn’t surprised at all.

“Yeah. He’s the main income of this bar, the only reason why I can’t kick him out.” It would be great to return the favor.

“Fangs told me, ya know.” He started, getting himself a beer and sitting next to Toni. “I can kick him out if you want.”

“Out of the bar? Good luck.” Toni said as she reached for his bottle and took a long sip. 

“Anywhere you like. Just say the word, T. Guy is getting on my fucking nerves.”

She checked the clock again. Almost midnight. Toni smiled to herself.

It was time and that bastard would never see it coming.

“Tiny…” Sweet Pea tried to warn her, feeling the waves of rage coming from the small Serpent. He knew he should try and stop her, but he also knew better than that. When Toni aimed for something, or _someone_ , there was little anyone could do.

Toni cracked a couple of beers open and walked towards the group.

She slammed the bottles on the table, sending a few drops flying around.

“What the _hell?_ ” The blond man stood up, trying to wipe away the beer in his jacket. He glared angrily at the small bartender standing next to him. “You should watch what you’re doing.”

“And you should show some _fucking_ respect” Toni hissed back, feeling her entire body flush with rage.

The blond Serpent tilted his head, a thought forming in his drunken state, saying he was being challenged by a little girl. He could barely recognize her, much less understand exactly what was going on. He just accepted the incoming fight.

“What you’re gonna do, huh?” He teased, shoving Toni backwards with a bump to her shoulder. “You're just a little _bitch_. Just like your redhead from the Northside. Just like your fucking _mother_.”

All self-control she managed to gather until now simply disappeared. Toni felt the rage building inside her, burning in her veins, overwhelming her feelings. All the noise faded to murmurs, and the pink-haired Serpent didn’t see anything else but the smug smile in his face, a smile she would happily punch away with her bare fists.

He had barely registered what was happening when he felt the first blow to his face. Toni cursed under her breath; it had been with her left hand and she had hit his cheek. He looked surprised for a brief second before starting to laugh. If that was all that little girl had, that fight wouldn’t take long.

He couldn’t be more wrong. With anger doubling for being laughed at, Toni directed everything she was feeling in her next move. Her right first connected to his chin with so much force that he took a few steps back, leaning against the wall for support. Toni saw her chance and lunged forward, throwing punch after punch until he was sliding down to the floor, already blacking out.

A bit taken aback by his friend's reaction, it took Sweet Pea a few seconds to move, wrapping her arms around Toni and trying to make her stop. The man was already passed out on the floor, blood covering most of his face.

“Toni, _stop!_ ” His plea fell on deaf ears as Toni struggled in his arms, trying to free herself.

“Let. Me. GO.” Toni grunted in anger, and stomped on his foot, hard enough to make him scream in pain. In the midst of her temper tantrum, Toni couldn't register who had tried to hold her, let alone noticed the people in front of her, easily ducking their arms as she tried to get back to _him_.

Before she could resume her onslaught, she felt something collide against her temple, but it didn’t stop even when her vision was impaired because of the blood dripping over her eyes.

“Toni, Toni, stop...” The pink-haired girl heard someone say, but the voice seemed to be so far away that it was a miracle she heard at all.

“It’s fine, you beat the crap out of this asshole.” Peaches spoke, trying to keep the same calm tone as Fangs, who also had his arms around Toni, helping to hold her. “You gotta calm down.”

“Peach? What you talking about? I’m fine, you can let me go now.”

The brunette didn’t move an inch, holding tight until Sweet Pea approached and nodded, almost as if to say that he was going to take care of Toni from there.

“C’mon Toni. Let’s go.”

Toni felt a hand on her arm, softly dragging her away from the small crowd. She let Sweet Pea lead her to the exit, a little lost and wondering why FP was shouting at some men inside the bar.

The cool night air was a most welcome change to the heat and the mixed smell of cigarette and alcohol inside. She took a deep breath and was about to run a hand through her hair but winced when her fingertips hit something wet and warm. She brought her hand away from her face and was surprised to see blood on her hand.

“What happened?” Toni asked, still looking at the blood.

Sweet Pea approached, trying to analyze the cut on her forehead, “You got hit. Hard.”

Toni looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Someone _punched_ me?” Why the _hell_ would someone do that?

“Yeah… And yet you didn’t stop.” He continued slowly, noticing she was really confused. He was going to keep talking but thought it’d be best to keep the details to himself. At least for a while. “Don’t worry about that. Let’s just go home, okay?”

Toni nodded and followed the tall Serpent to his bike, feeling a little dizzy. The blood was disturbing her vision and she tried to wipe it away with her hand.

“I don’t have a helmet.” She pointed out as soon as they reached Sweet’s bike. To be honest, she didn't know where her own bike was, but the pain that was beginning to throb in her head kept her from thinking better.

Sweet Pea saw that he only brought one helmet and cursed under his breath.

“You’ll get my helmet dirty again.” The taller Serpent mumbled; a bit upset. “Have any idea how hard it’s to clean blood off it?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Toni smiled.

Sweet Pea rolled his eyes, giving a small smile back. He was really worried about her. Far from the bar and with the cool night air calming their nerves, he couldn't believe that in less than fifteen minutes before Toni was ready to punch the life out of that guy. She was way too calm.

“Are you okay?”

Toni just shrugged. All the anger had dissipated, gone faster than it took to build up inside of her in the first place. Now she was just feeling tired. So damn tired.

“Yeah, I just… I couldn’t let him…” She sighed, looking for the right words. Toni knew what made her feel that way, but she wasn’t ready to admit it outloud. Even to one of her best friends.

_I couldn’t let him keep talking about Cheryl like that._

But saying that would generate a series of questions in Sweet Pea. And she didn't want to think any more that night. She wanted to go home and sleep until she could forget this night had happened at all.

“Guy was an asshole”. She said simply.

Sweets raised an eyebrow, clearly knowing Toni was hiding something. He decided not to touch the subject. The main mission there was to see if Toni was all right, which aside from the cut on her head and her bruised hands, she seemed well enough. The second mission was to get her out of there as soon as possible before the small group came after her. FP had probably been able to calm the spirits inside, but everyone knew that the Serpents were not known for letting anything go. He didn't want to risk it.

“Hop in, then.” Sweet Pea got on the bike and waited until Toni did the same. “I’ll have to find a way to fix your face.”

“I’m fine.”

But, _oh God_ , she was far from it.

“I know.” He smiled slightly as they exchanged a knowing look through the rearview mirror. They had gone through a lot of shit together over the years and sometimes Sweet Pea could read her like an open book. Toni knew what Sweet Pea was thinking and was glad he didn’t say anything else. They would talk some other time.

For now, she didn't have to worry about anything as Sweet Pea drove around town, the feeling of riding a motorcycle was good enough to soothe her even more.

\- - - - - - - - - - - -

To say that Toni was exhausted the next day was an understatement.

Her head ached, her hands throbbed and most of all, she felt numb. As if all the feelings she’d had in her life were condensed into a ball and then blown up all at once, leaving her... _Numb_.

It was Friday and all Toni wanted was to stay in bed and sleep through the entire weekend.

The only thing that motivated her to get out of bed was sheer stubbornness.

Sweet Pea was waiting for her in his bike. He was one of his only ride options, and he didn’t even question the fact that they were a little late. Honestly, Sweet Pea was amazed that Toni was standing at all.

“How’s your head?”

“Fine.” She pushed her hair away from her face so he could take a better look.

He grimaced, “It wasn’t my best job, but you’ll survive.”

Toni fixed her hair and just shrugged, choosing to save her energy for the rest of the day.

Even though she had hardly seen the day go by. It all happened in a blur and the only thing she noticed was the constant pain she had been feeling since morning. But now with her stomach joining the party.

Toni left the classroom before the final bell rang, ignoring the curious glances of the other students. And if the teacher wanted to give a warning, she could deal with that later. She was feeling trapped, like she couldn´t breathe. She couldn’t stay inside that classroom for another minute.

She walked through the hallways, aimlessly.

Maybe it was a bad idea to come to school. Maybe it was a bad idea to get out of bed in the first place. Maybe–

All thoughts evaporated from her mind as something slammed into her injured shoulder and pain shot through her body. She was about to curse the entire generation of the person who had bumped into her, but the words stuck in her throat as she saw the scene before her.

The distressed, breathless, wide-eyed Cheryl, looking everywhere and nowhere at the same time, so desperately lost until she fixed her eyes on Toni.

The Serpent girl was still processing the impact when Cheryl threw herself into her arms, crying. “Toni, you _have_ to help me.” She sobbed and Toni almost panicked herself by seeing the other girl at such state.

Without thinking twice, she just wrapped the redhead in a tight hug as she looked around, trying to see where the danger was coming from.

“Hey, hey, it’s fine. You’re safe now.” Toni tried to soothe her, drawing small circles on her back. After a few seconds, Toni pulled away, trying to get a better look on Cheryl’s face. Even pulling away from the hug, Toni kept her hands in a firm grip on the redhead’s shoulders, showing her she wouldn’t go anywhere.

“What happened? What scared you like that?” Toni needed to know what had shaken the always so composed Blossom to the point she was still trembling under her touch. And damn if she wasn’t ready to punch yet another person for Cheryl in less than 24 hours.

“The Black Hood, Toni. He’s here. And I swear he’s coming after me.”

Toni swallowed hard.

If that were true, she would need another plan. And fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The friendship between Toni and SP is one of the most important things for me in this show, so I tried to bring it to the story as well.   
> Next chapter will certainly be more focused on Choni, pink promise

**Author's Note:**

> Any thoughts?


End file.
